In the surgical procedure known as abdominal hysterectomy, the uterus is exterpated from the vagina at the junction of the two elements. This entails the partial clamping of the junction of the uterus and the vagina and then the excising of the uterus in a simple cutting operation or performing a plurality of cutting steps until the uterus is completely severed. Usually these operations involve inexact severing of the uterus which leaves a ragged edge, i.e., redundant tissue on the vaginal cuff. Despite the use of conventional clamps affixed on the edges of the vagina, the vaginal cuff is quite vascular and generally results in moderately profuse bleeding from the ragged edges, especially at the lateral angles of the vagina. The combination of the ragged edges of the vaginal cuff and tendency towards bleeding can result in the direct contamination of the vaginal cuff with vaginal bacterial flora, thus possibly resulting in the following major post-operative problems:
1. The infection and abscess of the vaginal cuff, and
2. Hemorrhage from the vaginal cuff usually within eight to fourteen days after the surgical operation.
Another drawback with using conventional type clamping means is that the inexact severing of the uterus could result in the removal of too little or too much of the vaginal edges anteriorly or posteriorly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,111 discloses a surgical forceps having uneven jaws so that one of the jaws extends with a projection which possesses an eye as in a sewing needle through which an appropriate thread may be passed for the tying or binding of veins or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,132 discloses a surgical clamp having relatively thin jaw sections with teeth therein for gripping a relatively small blood vessel longitudinally thereof. The jaw sections of the surgical clamp have interlocking fixation means to prevent scissoring or shifting of the jaw sections relative to each other while applying clamping pressure to the jaw sections for bringing the walls of a portion of a blood vessel into contact with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,852,542 discloses a scissor-type surgical clamp having a mortise joint between the crossing portions of the clamp and having means for adjusting the clamp to tighten or loosen the connection between the crossed portions so that true alignment between the jaws or working points of the instrument may be effectively maintained.
French Pat. No. 378,427 discloses a scissor-type surgical clamp having affixed to pivoted means a pair of extended curved members disposed in a plane containing a pair of gripping members extending in the opposite direction from the securing means. The curved members have spaced apart edge slots which can be used to accommodate a needle for sutures.
In an article titled "New Forceps For Retropubic Prostatectomy" appearing in the Journal of Urology, 107:626, April 1972, a forceps is disclosed in which one of its extended jaws has four keyholes to receive sutures.
It is an object of the present invention to provide forceps for use in surgical operations which has hemostastosis means and appropriately spaced-apart grooves or notches for accommodating a needle for sutures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide surgical forceps having extended jaws which substantially conform to the anatomical curve of the cervix.
Another object of the present invention is to provide surgical forceps having a pair of extended jaws adapted to provide a crushing action so as to instantly provide hemostasis through the entire width of the body organ contained within the jaws.
Another object of the present invention is to provide surgical forceps that can be used in place of a plurality of conventional clamps presently being employed in certain surgical operations, such as abdominal hysterectomy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide surgical forceps that will expedite and shorten the surgical time required for abdominal hysterectomy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide surgical forceps which comprise few and simple parts and which will be easy to manipulate for use in surgical operations.
The foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.